Wheelbarrow



(No Model.)

W. H. WARDELL. WHEELBA'RROW Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

UNITED STATES QPATEN'T ()FFICE.

WILLIAM H. WARDELL, or none BRANCH, NEW JERSEY.

WH EELBARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,614, dated February 23, 1892.

Application filed November 9, 1891; Serial No. 4l1,321- (N0 model) To coZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WARDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheelbarrows, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to Wheelbarrows, and has for its object to raise or lower the rear portion of the barrow by adjusting the wheelaxle to different heights on brackets secured to or formed with the side sills for the purpose of accommodating the height of the person wheeling, to reduce the power required to move heavy loads, and to avoid top-heaviness and swaying of the barrow while wheeling the load.

. To such ends my invention consists in the features of construction and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheelbarrow constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view omitting the wheel from the axle; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view on alarger scale, showing one of the axle-bearings secured to a portion of one of the side sills.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numeral 1 indicates a side sill, which, as here shown, is extended into a handle 2. The rear end portion of the side sill is provided at its under side with a pendent bracket 3, having its lower edge 4 inclined from the rear extremity of the bracket in a direction toward the front portion of the wheelbarrow. The side sill and bracket are similar at each side of the barrow, and consequently a description of one is deemed sufficient for both.

The inclined lower edge of the bracket is provided with a gang or series of axle-bearings 5, into any one of which the wheel-axle 6 can be arranged for the purpose of raising or lowering the rear portion of the handles 2 to accommodatetheheightofthepersonwheeling the same. By adjusting the wheel-axle to the lowermost axle-beari ngsthe rear portion of the barrow will be elevated and the handles lowered and at the same timethe wheel will be placed in proximity to the center of gravity, so that lesspoweris requiredto wheel heavyloads, While top-heaviness and swayingof the barrow are avoided during its use. The axle (i may be provided with one or two wheels 7; but a single wheel at the center of the axle is preferred, in that it avoids shaking of the barrow and places it under more perfect control.

The axle-bearings are each composed of a flat metallic strip secured at one end to the inclined edge 4 of the bracket 3 and having its opposite extremity bent away from such inclined edge and formed into an eye to receive one end of the axle. This construction converts the axle-bearing into a spring, which yields vertically under the pressure of the load and constitutes an elastic connection between the wheel-axle and the bracket secured to the side sill. V

The bottom wall of the barrow is composed of front and rear sections 8 and 9, between which is interposed an elevated section 10, which inclines downwardly from the rear section 9 to the front section 8 for the purpose of providing the requisite space beneath the barrow to render the wheel susceptible of being raised and lowered without liability of coming in contact with the bottom wall of the barrow.

The wheel 7 and the supporting-legs 12 of the wheelbarrow may be of any construction suitable for the conditions required, as may also be the detachable side boards 13.

The number of axle-bearings on the inclined edge 4 of each pendent bracket 3 may be varied, but several are essential on each bracket for the purpose of enabling the wheel-axle to be adjusted to various positions for the purpose of raising or lowering the rear portion of the barrow to any extent that may be desired.

The wheel-axle of the wheelbarrow has heretofore been made adjustable in a horizontal plane; but this difiers substantially and materially from my invention, in that I adjust the wheel-axle to different levels for the purpose of raising or lowering the rear portion of the barrow and correspondingly changing the level of the handles to accommodate the height of the person wheeling the load. The construction also avoids swaying of the barrow in wheeling heavy loads and reduces the power required in manipulating the barrow with the load thereupon.

The elevated inclined section 10 intermediate the front and rear sections 8 and 9 is supported at each end from the side sill through the medium of a triangular block 14, 1

which rests upon the side sill and bears against the rear inclined brace 15, which is sustained by upright posts or tie-rods 16. By providing the inclined intermediate section 10 it is possible to extend the rim of the wheel above the level of the side sills and to project the body of the barrow entirely over and in rear of the wheel, thereby obtaining the full carrying capacity without in any way interfering with the adjustment of the wheel to difierent heights for raising or lowering the handles to the required extent for the convenient manipulation of the barrow.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with the wheel-axle and the side sills of a wheelbarrow, of pendent brackets having their lower edges inclined downwardly from the rear toward the front portion, and a series of independent axle-bearings secured to the inclined edge of each pendent bracket for receiving the wheel-axle to raise or lower the rear portion of thebarrow, substantially as described.

2. 4 A wheelbarrow having side sills, an elevated inclined bottom section interposed between the front and rear sections, and brackets having their lower edges inclined downward in a direction from the rear to the front of the barrow and each provided with a gang of attached independent axle-bearings, into any pair of which the ends of the axle can be adjusted, substantially as described.

3. A wheelbarrow having side sills, an elevated inclined bottom section interposed be tween the front and rear sections and having triangular end supports resting on the side sills, and brackets dependingfrom the side sills and each having its lower edge inclined downward in a direction from the rear to the front and provided with a series or gang of attached independent axle-bearings, into any one of which the wheel-axle can be adjusted for the purpose of raising or lowering the rear portion of the barrow and changing the elevation of the handles, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the side sills of a wheelbarrow, of brackets depending from the lower side of the side sills and each having its lower edge inclined downward in a direction from the rear to the front of the barrow, and axle-bearings, each composed of a metallic plate secured at one end to the inclined lower edge of the bracket and having its opposite end bent away from such lower edge and formed into an eye for the purpose of forming a spring connection between the axle and the bracket, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a wheelbarrow, of side sills extended into handles, an elevated inclined bottom section interposed between the front and rear sections and supported at its ends by triangular blocks which rest upon the side sills, and brackets depending from the under side of the side sills and each having its lower edge inclined downward in a direction from the rear to the front of the barrow and provided with a series or gang of attached independent spring-yielding axlebearings, into any one of which the wheelaxle can be adjusted for raising or lowering the rear portion of the barrow, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and afiixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. WARDELL. [L. s.] Witnesses:

HENRY HULICK,

PATRICK LAMELER. 

